This report is notorious as, on page 6, it contains Meredith's infamous libel against Leona McNair. This libel plunged WCG into a thirteen year court case which forced it to pay her $750,000 in an out of court settlement.

Reading this Pastor's Report, at first I completely missed his vicious and false accusations against Leona McNair.

Meredith felt that WCG members and ministers were divorcing and remarrying too much and wanted to tell them that they could only divorce for "legitimate reasons," the few exceptions WCG allowed marriages to dissolve.

Now he knew WCG members and ministers could dismiss his words by saying, "But Raymond McNair got a divorce, and he did not have a "legitimate reason" to do so. Your words are hypocritical, so I will ignore them."

Meredith is trying to get around this objection by saying Raymond McNair's divorce was legitimate within "God's Church" and met his exceptions for allowing divorce.

But he did this by demonizing Leona McNair, saying untrue things about her.

These are Meredith's words on page 6.

Now, fellow ministers, I would like to discuss something that is becoming an increasingly critical problem within the ministry and within God's Church as a whole -- especially here in the United States. Increasing numbers of our church members are beginning to divorce their mates for, it seems, almost ANY conceivable reason! What's more, they then expect to "remain in the church" and probably REMARRY someone else in the Church -- perhaps their former friend's wife who has, by now, divorced him, and is also "still in the Church."

We are going to have long doctrinal and theological discussions with Mr. Herbert Armstrong to cover and thoroughly understand any legitimate reasons for divorce and remarriage. However, as of this writing, thee are only THREE that God's Church has officially recognized as legitimate:...

(III) Desertion -- by the unconverted mate -- although this was accepted and taught by the Church long before his action, a classic example of this would be Mr. Raymond McNair's situation. His wife refused to be a wife to him for over two years -- to sleep with him, cook for him, or even civilly communicate with him in a decent manner. Rather, she had left God's Church and was actively FIGHTING God's Church and Mr. McNair, turning his children against him and literally cursing him to his face. Finally, upon advice of Mr. Armstrong and Ted Armstrong, he was finally forced to make legal the already existing FACT that she had deserted him and was no longer his wife in any way whatsoever.

Of course, as it turned out, what Meredith said was very misleading and inaccurate.

And later, when Leona McNair read about Meredith's words she was very upset and traumatized that he said such untrue things to the many people who knew her and that she knew within WCG.

A $70 million libel suit against the
Armstrong organization was filed in July [1979] by Leona A. McNair. ...

contacted Mrs. McNair requesting details of the suit but was told that she
has been deeply hurt by the allegedly libelous statements made against her
and does not wish to give the matter further publicity. (Ambassador Report 10)

On 23 August 1984 a Pasadena jury awarded her $1,260,000 in damages for Meredith's libel. The whole topic is extensively covered in Ambassador Report 29, hosted on the Painful Truth website. This issue contains much valuable information regarding Roderick C. Meredith and Raymond McNair.

This is how the divorce really happened.

What the McNairs discovered when they arrived [at Pasadena in 1973] was a church headquarters fraught with doctrinal divisions, political infighting, and sex scandals.
To all of this, Raymond turned a
blind eye, remaining faithful to his mentor, church founder Herbert W.
Armstrong (HWA). Leona's patience with the church's leadership, however,
rapidly waned. Her high intelligence (Dr. McKelligott would later testify
that her 143 IQ is equaled by only three in a thousand) and strong religious
values conflicted with the role she was expected to play. She told Raymond
she could no longer continue to support him in what she viewed as the
perpetration of a giant fraud. She stopped attending Worldwide Church of God
(WCG) services in 1974 and occasionally attended lectures given by such
ex-WCG ministers as Dr. Ernest L. Martin.

Leona's disillusionment with
Herbert Armstrong and her desire for religious freedom were intolerable to
Raymond, and he made his feelings known. According to testimony by Leona, in
1975 her husband told her, "I am going to crush you until you are totally
dependent on me!" (In court Raymond denied ever making this threat. However,
third parties have confirmed hearing Raymond say the equivalent.) Raymond
cut Leona off from access to their joint bank accounts, badgered her into
giving back jewelry he had given her and then sold them, refused to give her
adequate money for groceries, and moved into separate sleeping quarters.
Leona also soon began to notice that many WCG friends would no longer have
anything to do with her.

Communication between Leona and
Raymond became increasingly strained. But in spite of this, Leona -
concerned for the welfare of her children - put aside all thought of divorce
or separation. Raymond, on the other hand, had different ideas. According to
Leona's court testimony, and corroborated by her daughter, on a number of
occasions Raymond took her to the door, opened it and yelled, "You're not
paying the bills here. Get out!" The reason for this behavior was
inexplicable to Leona until later when she realized that, although the WCG
had for four decades prohibited all divorce, around 1974 church leaders
began to discuss the possibility of allowing divorce for members deserted
by nonmembers. Leona's suspicions were confirmed when Mrs. Nancy Tate, one
of her close friends, told her how the wife of one WCG evangelist had
confided, "If we could just get Leona to leave the house, we could get
her on desertion." Before long, Raymond made his intentions perfectly
clear. He flat out told her he would divorce her when the time was right.

The relationship was now a
traumatic one, but Leona still had no intention of deserting her family. Nor
was she lingering on for (what Allan Browne would later claim in court) a
"free ride." She started attending college again in 1974 to reestablish her
nursing credentials. And when those were obtained in 1975 she found work at
a local hospital. But then, a few weeks later in June, Raymond McNair did
something no WCG evangelist had ever done. He filed for divorce.

It is terrible to think that Meredith simply lied and claimed the divorce was all Leona McNair's fault.

The issue of Ambassador Report also note how Meredith once, in 1960, gave Leona McNair a humiliating four hour shouting session at her that adversely affected her health.

Meredith's testimony, less rambling than Raymond McNair's - but equally self-justifying - was particularly remarkable in its portrayal of the WCG as one big happy family. Meredith went to some length in describing the close friendship that had supposedly once existed between the McNairs and himself. But Ruth McNair-Knasin, when asked about the matter, said she didn't believe true friendship ever really existed between Meredith and her father. She described their relationship as one that would quickly evaporate were it perceived as getting in the way of "the Work." ...

The WCG may be one big happy family to Meredith, but Leona on the stand recalled how one evening in 1960 Raymond let Meredith into their home and announced, to her astonishment, that he had been invited in to "counsel" her. What followed, according to Leona, was four-and-one-half hours of railing accusation, authoritative preaching, sex-life interrogation, and high-decibel, humiliating verbal abuse from Meredith. Her problem? She was not a submissive enough wife and two ministers (unnamed) had found fault with her. She needed to obey his dictates because he (Meredith) was "God's number three man on earth" and would very likely remain in authority over her for all eternity! She needed to learn true submission! (Those who have seen Bryon Forbes' movie "The Stepford Wives" - referred to by Ruth McNair-Knasin in her testimony - will understand what Meredith was apparently aiming at.)

The 4= hours of harangue left
Leona - then 2= months pregnant - in utter shock. She began shaking and
hyperventilating. While Raymond slept well that night, she sobbed all night.
The next morning found her still trembling. According to her court
testimony, it was then that her nervous disorders began. In court Raymond
claimed that Leona never had any emotional problems during their years in
England. But a letter he wrote to her in 1975 specifically referred to her
"emotional hangups." And Ruth testified how around 1970 her father had asked
for her support in the event that he would find it necessary to have her
mother committed.
On the stand, Meredith gave a
very different picture of what happened. He described the 4=-hour session as
nothing more than a friendly discussion lasting about an hour or so.
Meredith's benevolent persona, however, stands in stark contrast to his
reputation as a psychologically intimidating and harsh authoritarian in the
performance of ministerial duties.

The Ambassador Report also notes other instances of Meredith's authoritarian behavior. Here is one.

Another former WCG minister told
us that after a Meredith "counseling" session with his wife, she became so
totally depressed he emphatically ordered her never to discuss anything
privately with Meredith again. He explained, "Rod has the ability to somehow
dig into a person's mind in such a way as to make them feel utterly guilt
ridden and despondent. He seems to revel in this strange power to bring
someone down psychologically." The same man also told us how once on a walk
with Meredith, Roderick turned to him and said, "You may not realize it, but
in all the universe, I'm number five, and you're number such and such." To
us, at least, Leona's testimony was quite credible.

No wonder the jury awarded her $1,260,000 in damages for Meredith vicious libel against her.

WCG appealed and the case dragged on until 1992 when WCG paid $750,000 in an out of court settlement because of Meredith's libel.

Mrs. Leona McNair's libel lawsuit against the Worldwide Church of God, Roderick C. Meredith, and her ex-husband Raymond McNair, was finally ended in December when the suit was settled out of court for $750,000 (Pasadena Star-News, 11/21/92). ... the WCG still refused to admit any wrongdoing, ... The victory by Leona was no
small accomplishment...
Leona McNair says she
intends to get back to her career in nursing very soon. In the meantime, she
is working on a book about tithing which she believes is a false doctrine
that has cursed many Christians. Whether or not the book ever gets done, she
has already written a short, but thought provoking, paper on the subject and
she is distributing it to friends.

The best thing about her
lawsuit coming to an end seems to be that, because she is no longer
perceived as fighting against "God's Work," her two WCG-member sons are once
again able to talk to their mother. Ironically, because Leona's ex-husband,
Raymond McNair, recently left the WCG for Rod Meredith's Global Church of
God, Leona's two sons are not supposed to talk to their father now because
he has become "an enemy of God's Church." (Ambassador Report 52.)

Because Meredith left WCG shortly after this case was settled it is often asserted that Meredith stayed in WCG because of the libel lawsuit. Once the lawsuit was over he got out of WCG, which shielded him by paying the out of court settlement and paying to defend him and WCG from her libel suit, and started up his own COG offshoot group.

What a terrible legacy of shattered dreams and shattered lives this Roderick Meredith has left behind in his wake.

3 comments:

Do the authors + contributors to this website regard the Roman Catholic Church a cult? One man has rule, holds sway + advises governments UN etc. On everything from birth control to taxpayer funded help to selected RC nations....The RC church is regarded as the WEALTHIEST including properties + lands,church/religion on earth! The RC priests advise folk on everything, instruct, demand, preach + ask for donations$'s..

If You are new please read this

Hand in Hand for Syria

Keep Somalia's Remittances Open

I encourage readers to sign this petition from Oxfam calling upon the U.S. government to let the Somali diaspora continue to send remittance to their loved ones in Somalia.

Moves have been made to shut down such remittances from Somalis in America. Many Somalis need these remittances. The remittances to Somalia are larger than foreign aid contributions and are a lifeline to these people caught in trouble and turmoil.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".

Truth about Roderick C. Meredith

What sort of man is he? A man who could say things like this.

"Mr. Armstrong has reminded us again that we are to disfellowship any members who attend GTA's [Garner Ted Armstrong's] campaigns, church services or other meetings. Some of our weaker members apparently do not realize that this man is in direct rebellion against God and His government! We must not allow them, or ourselves, to rationalize about this matter, to try to "help the underdog," or in any other way lend support to one whose gross immorality, whose long standing "play acting" and hypocrisy, and whose direct insubordination to the Government of God has long been and is now a source of confusion and DIVISION among God's people. So, as per Mr. Armstrong's instruction, I charge and exhort every one of you faithful ministers of the living Christ to explain this in no uncertain terms to your members, to warn them about this cause of division and then to disfellowship any who consort with GTA or any of his fellows." (Roderick C. Meredith, Pastor's Report, May 21, 1979, pp. 1-2.)

David Robinson on Roderick C. Meredith

"During the ten years I have been an employee of the Worldwide Church, you have been poorly spoken of by most of the ministers and employees I have known. I vividly remember the absolute unbounded glee that was openly expressed by a good number of respected men in the church when you were first "shanghaied." [In 1972.] I could begin by naming names, which I am sure would shock you. I was one of the few who stood, where possible, for you. Your tenure as superintendent of ministers, as I believe the office was then called, was looked on as nightmarish. While you held office during the years of growth, most of those whom I know gave you very little credit for that growth. Almost everyone whom I know, whether they be former friends of yours, or continuing foes, recalls insensitive and terrible things you have done. Without exception, at least among my acquaintances, they all credit you with an unbridled lust for power and list you as one who is willing to pay the price of gaining that power, no matter what. I have, through many of the last few years, believed you had principles you would not violate. Many a man of experience in the church assured me of my error. Events have proven me wrong and them right. Mr. Armstrong has himself been widely quoted as saying of you that you were so righteous that you were so "righteous you were unrighteous." " (David Robinson, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, Chapter 16, p. 207.)

Of course it is impossible for me to personally verify these assertions but people deserve to know what this knowledgeable man had to say about him.